August 16/08 2:00 am - Crankworx: August 13-14-15 reports and results

Posted by Editoress on 08/16/08

Crankworx

The Jim Beam Air Downhill August 13th

Report and photos by Fraser Britton

Brian Lopes takes his third consecutive Air Downhill win here in Whistler. Brian had a few seconds on the competition on a track that everyone was struggling to go fast on. "It went pretty good, " Lopes explained, "I felt really strong on all the pedaling parts. I am feeling pretty fit. It's super fluid up top, on my brakes more than I should have been. I flat bottomed one jump and kinda hit my helmet on my bars and was pedaling in the air off the jumps after that trying to get my speed back." Lopes was followed by Greg Minnaar and Chris Kovarik. For the women it was local Rebecca McQueen taking home the win, with world cup regular Micayla Gatto hot on her heels. Stephanie Nychka of Alberta was third. We caught up with Gatto after her run, "I know I could have gone faster, but I almost died a few times."

Report by Crankworx

The Jim Beam Air Downhill took over the Whistler Mountain Bike Park today with over 300 competitors racing in the one-run format on the famed A-Line course. Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach, CA was the fastest competitor for the third straight year finishing with a time of 4:22.10 - 1.32 seconds faster than the rest of the field.

The Jim Beam Air Downhill runs the length of A-Line over the GLC Drops into the village. With nearly 100 jumps on-course, A-Line is the most celebrated and well-known downhill trail in mountain biking.

"A-Line is a really great trail to ride, but when it comes to racing on it, you need to be on point," says Brian Lopes, Jim Beam Air Downhill winner. "It's a technical race and with the level of riders here, every mistake counts."

Lopes claimed first with a time of 4:22.10; Greg Minnaar of Murrieta, CA took second place with a time of 4:23.42; Chris Kovarik of Whistler, BC took third place with a time of 4:27.60; and Marc Beaumont of Craven Arms, UK took fourth place with a time of 4:28.77.

In the Pro Women category, Rebecca McQueen of Whistler, BC took the top spot with a time of 4:51.05; Micayla Gatto of West Vancouver, BC took second with a time of 4:51.82; Stephanie Nychka of Beaver Lodge, AB took third with a time of 4:53.59, and Fionn Griffiths of Shrewsbury, UK took fourth with a time of 4:55.70.

"I love A-Line," says Rebecca McQueen, winner of the Pro Women category. "It's a fun course and I just charged it. I think the rain we had the other day helped the course a lot."

The first ever VW Trick Showdown roared into the Whistler Mountain Bike Park's Boneyard today and amazed hundreds of spectators as well those watching via live webcast at Crankworx.com and Go211.com.

The VW Trick Showdown was a winner-take-all, rider-judged event based on two 45 minute sessions on two features within the Boneyard Slopestyle course. The top rider from each session took home $3,000 for best trick. To add to the prize purse, the announcers had $2,000 worth of fifty dollar bills to divide between the riders who laid it all on the line during the event.

Casey Groves of Kelowna, BC took session one and $3,000 for stomping an amazing Quadruple Pendulum and snagged an extra $350 of cold hard cash in the grab for his relentless effort. "I've never won cash before," says Groves. "The jump in session one was perfect, John Cowan did an amazing job building this course."

To take top spot in the second session, Greg Watts of Santa Cruz, CA executed one of the most incredible Step-Down Flipwhips ever seen in competition. Watts walked away with $3,000 for winning session two and $300 in the cash grab. "Everything in Whistler rules," says Watts. "This festival is made up of the best things in life and everyone here threw down today."

Giant Slalom (August 15th)

Report by Krankworx

The GIANT Slalom took center stage today, Day Seven of Kokanee Crankworx 2008. With a list of world-class riders charging for the finish line two-at-a-time, spectators onsite and watching via webcast on Crankworx.com and Go211.com witnessed big crashes and big finishes in the high speed, head-to-head race event.

The GIANT Slalom weaved its way through the Boneyard Slopestyle course in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park with two riders going head-to-head over jumps and through berms into the finish corral in the village. Each rider had two runs with combined times counting for the qualifying rounds and seeding.

Reigning champ Brian Lopes crashed hard in the final race leaving him in second place overall. First place winner Greg Minnaar stopped on course to check on Lopes before riding down to claim first place in what could quite possibly go down as the most exciting final in Kokanee Crankworx history.

With Greg Minnaar of Pietermaritzburg, SA and Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach, USA finishing first and second respectively; Gee Atherton of Llangynog, UK took third and Guido Tschugg of Amerang, GER took fourth In the Pro Men category.

"The race was close in the first round," says Greg Minnaar. "It"s a tiring race and we were both giving it our all, its good to win."

The Pro Women category was won by Anneke Beerten of Marienvelde, NED; Sheryl McLeod of Dunedin, NZ took second; Helene Fruhwirth of Giesshuebl, AUS took third place; and Lorraine Blancher of Revelstoke, BC took fourth.

"It was a good race and a good course," says Beerten. "I"ve been training all winter on the BMX track and it really paid off this year."